The Most Perfect Night
by MindSpring
Summary: *FOR PIKANA'S CONTEST!* Peach doesn't want to go to the dance, Mario is freaking out, and Luigi and Falco are ladies' men? What insanity is this? And just what is that little velvet box doing under Mario's jacket, next to his heart...? Read and review!


**MINDSPRING ~ another random one shot, but this time for Pikana's contest! I guess that means it has more of a reason for existence than **_**Reunions,**_** but that doesn't mean I don't have that writers block! So, you don't have to review… but whatever. Oh, and I realize that to do this story, the LinkxZelda pairing will be nonexistent. Sad… But just for this one; I am an avid supporter of all the 'normal' pairings. Another side note- I hate writing accents. Use your imagination!**

Peach was wondering how to solve the problem she faced. The most serious problem in all her months at the Mansion. Worse than fighting Ganondorf and Bowser at the same time, worse than making Ike and Roy leave her alone, even more serious than getting back at Link for trying to get with her, without Zelda knowing. She stood; arms crossed, and faced her greatest challenge yet.

Peach had heard rumors, of course, about what the boys were planning to do. And the fact that Captain Falcon stood in front of her, telling her exactly what she had figured out on her own, well, that only confirmed it. Things were going to get very ugly for them, very fast.

The Captain was finishing his story, "…and when I left, they were all planning to ask you to the dance tonight. So watch out, Princess." He grinned suddenly, his green lenses flashing. "I must ask, Master-of-Revenge-schemes, what's your plan?"

She smiled and slowly uncrossed her arms, saying, "I don't know yet. I was hoping Mario would ask me, but… I'll figure it out. Thank you, Captain." He saluted her with a flick of his wrist, and then he was gone, and she was alone in her room. Samus was out, repairing her ship (Pit had crashed it again), and Zelda was in the library.

She sank slowly to the bed, took off her crown, and started to brush her hair, humming sadly to herself.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mario was in his room, standing in front of the mirror, making sure everything looked absolutely perfect. He frowned, trying to flatten his hair into something that would pass as nice, and sighed when it puffed up again. He instead focused on his tie, making absolutely sure it was perfect and straight. He touched his heart, making sure the little velvet box was still there, tucked underneath his tuxedo jacket.

Falco, Marth, and Luigi were all sitting at the table in Mario's room, playing a game of poker, and occasionally looking up to see if Mario was freaking out yet. They had just learned what he was planning to do early this morning, and as they all claimed to be 'the best ladies men in the Mansion', they had decided to help Mario.

Falco suppressed a large yawn, and said with difficulty, "Mario, man, stop messing with it. It looks great."

Marth agreed, and added, laying down his cards, "Ace-high straight, I win the pot. Yeah, Mario, you look fine." He gathered the various chips and brought them over to his side of the table. Luigi and Falco sighed.

Mario walked over to them and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, I heard that Ike and Link wanted to ask her the dance, too…"

Luigi piped up, "Don't forget Roy!" He shrunk under the furious shut-up-right-now looks from Marth and Falco. Marth said quickly, "Mario, don't worry. I'll keep Ike preoccupied while you ask her."

Falco said, his sharp eyes not moving from the cards, "And Fox and I'll get Roy lost on his way there. Shouldn't be too hard." Luigi laughed and was about to say something when Captain Falcon burst in the room, panting.

"Dude! Peach is _flipping_ out, 'cause she wanted you to ask her to the dance, and-" he caught a sight of Mario. He smiled and gave him the thumbs up before continuing, "And Link, Ike, and Roy are planning something- something _soon!_"

Luigi opened his mouth to reply, but not before Zelda ran into the room and immediately demanded, "What is the matter with Peach?" Luigi threw his arms up in frustration and gave up. She looked around at all the men staring at her and asked, "_What?"_

Falco answered her at once. "Mario is going to ask Peach to-" He was cut off from finishing the sentence when Marth clapped his hand over his beak. Falco rolled his eyes, Luigi and Captain Falcon laughed, and Mario cleared his throat and tugged on his tie.

Zelda put her hands on her hips and started tapping her foot impatiently. Falco stared at her, and asked, "Are you seriously doing that? I thought chicks only did that in movies!"

"Tell me what is going on, and why Peach is crying!"

"We can't, Zelda! You might tell Link!"

"Why would I tell that backstabber _anything_?"

"Good point. I vote we tell her, she can distract Link."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said I was going to do that?"

"All in favor of her being informed?"

Five hands raised. Luigi piped up, "Mario is going to propose to Peach at the dance tonight, and we need to keep Ike, Roy, and Link away from them so he can-"

"So he can pop the question." Falco shuffled the cards again, and started to deal. When he didn't hear anything from Zelda, he looked up, confused.

Her mouth was wide open, her hands over her mouth, and her eyes were fixed on Mario. For three seconds, she didn't move. Captain Falcon was about to poke her arm when she started screaming. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? MARIO! TONIGHT? ENGAGEMENT? OH, MY GOD! WE NEED TO GET YOU READY! AND PEACH, TOO! OH, MY GOD!"

All five of the men leapt up and tried to silence her. "Zelda! We don't need the whole Mansion knowing!" Mario groaned, his hand around her mouth. Her eyes were wide, excited, and darting around the place.

"Jesus, Zelda, my eardrums are gone!" Captain Falcon complained, his hands holding her hands behind her back. Zelda rolled her eyes, sighed, and then stomped on the foot nearest to hers, which just so happened to be Marth's. He hopped around holding his foot, cursing under his breath. The rest of them let go of her and stepped back.

She laughed and said, "Ok, fine. Samus will take care of Link, and I'll help Peach and you get ready." She frowned over at Mario, and then reached forward to straighten his tie, flatten his hair, straighten his cufflinks, and yank his jacket straight. Zelda nodded sharply, said, "Much better," turned on her heel, and left.

* * *

Zelda picked up her skirts and ran to the opposite end of the Mansion, where the girls' dorms were located. She passed by Lucas and Ness trying to run away from a very angry Master Hand for messing up the Ballroom somehow, Lucario reading a book with ten more floating behind him, and Red coming out of the Training Room with a crazed Pikachu running around his legs. She waved a passing hello to all of them, and only stopped when she saw Samus dragging a struggling Pit by his toga out of the Garage.

Samus was furious, this was the third time someone had crashed her ship, and she was out for blood this time. "Wait, Samus! I can ex- OWW!" Pit was trying to escape, but not until he received an earful. And maybe a fistful, too.

"Oh, I think not- Hello, Zel! You look flushed." Samus didn't really pay attention until she noticed Zelda was jumping around on the spot, squealing. She narrowed her eyes, confused, "Uh, Zel, the toilet is right-"

Zelda shook her head and whispered in Samus's ear, "Mario is going to propose to Peach tonight!" Samus looked at her, her mouth open. "Are you sure?" Zelda nodded excitedly, her grin huge.

"Oh… my… God. Oh, my God!" Samus grinned to match Zelda, and was about to follow her when she noticed Pit trying to disengage himself from her grip. Samus held up a finger to Zelda and said, "I'll be right there."

* * *

Peach was spinning around, holding a dress up to herself and she tried to see herself smiling and happy at the dance tonight. She stopped, sighing, and put it back down. It was a gorgeous one, too, a beautiful rich blue to match her eyes. She was about to rifle through her large closet for another color when Samus and Zelda burst in, giggling madly. Peach turned to face them, and said almost at once, "Now there is something I do not trust at all. What is going on?"

Zelda waved away the question with a flourish of her hand. "I just actually convinced Samus to come to the dance tonight, and I thought we all needed to get ready. The dance is just three hours away, and we need to prep, girls!" Samus rolled her eyes and moved towards the blue dress. "Ooh, Peach, I like this one, can I wear it?"

Peach nodded sadly. Zelda rolled her eyes and walked her into the large closet. "Okay, Peach, you have to look absolutely perfect for tonight!"

"Why?"

"Why? Because we are the only freakin' _girls_ in this stupid mansion. We'll be in high demand." Samus said, walking into the bathroom with the dress thrown over her arm. Zelda steered Peach over to the rack of dresses bought when the girls went to New York for the weekend. "These are all nice, which one do you like the best?"

Peach shrugged, and Zelda sighed and put her hands on her hips. "My God, Peach, just because he hasn't asked you _yet_ doesn't mean he won't!"

"How do you know?"

"Because boys are all the same. They don't know when or how to ask, so usually they wait until the last minute."

"Oh. Okay."

* * *

Three hours later, the girls waltzed, arm in arm, to the ballroom. Peach was wearing a deep red dress, Samus was wearing a sporty blue one, and Zelda, a magnificent purple one to set off the jewelry she wore.

Falco was standing near the doorway, leaning against it, looking bored. As they passed, Zelda looked back at him, and nodded when he gave the signal. She turned to Samus and raised her eyebrows. Samus caught on at once, "Oh, look. There's Link!"

Link was indeed there, waiting for Peach. He smiled when she came into view, but for some reason, Samus smiled back and walked over to him. He tried to keep his composure while she linked her arm through his and started walking him into the ballroom.

* * *

Falco smiled when Link and Samus walked away. Samus would probably scrub her arm until it was raw and bleeding later that night; she absolutely despised Link for how he had hurt Zelda. He heard sharp taps on the floor and turned to face Fox. Both were looking extremely uncomfortable in suits, and Fox's tail was swishing impatiently. He nodded and said, "I just passed Roy. He's gazing at himself in the mirror."

Falco raised his eyebrows. "Even more narcissist than I had thought." Fox laughed.

After a few minutes, they heard Roy coming down the stairs. Fox pulled the large doors closed while Falco looked up and yelled, "Roy! Lucas and Ness froze the Ballroom, so Master Hand moved the dance to the outside courtyard. We volunteered to stay back and tell everyone who didn't know."

Roy appeared at the foot of the stairs. His face was crestfallen, and he looked neat and trim in a crisp black suit. "Damn, that's on the other side of the Mansion. Have you guys seen Peach?"

Fox replied smoothly, "Yeah, you just missed her. She was walking with Ike and Mario, I think." He winked at Roy, "Better hurry, dude, you have competition."

Roy, looking stunned, turned and ran back up the stairs, shouting, "OI! Ike! No you don't!"

Fox and Falco suppressed a laugh until Roy was completely out of earshot. "Wow, that was easier than I had thought!" Falco said while Fox bent over double, cracking up. After they had regained their composure, they threw open the doors and walked in.

* * *

_Ike is the only one left now_, Mario thought. He caught a glimpse of Peach as she and Zelda walked in, and he felt his heart stop beating.

As if in slow motion, she walked in elegantly, her golden hair shining like a goddess's and her eyes large, lined with black to make them pop. Mario lost himself in those eyes, his mouth open. She wore a gorgeous silk dress, one that was fitting and draped itself over her body like water. It shimmered in the lights. Her crown was gleaming, and she looked absolutely…

Perfect.

Falco appeared next to him, and nudged him to make him stop. "Dude, quit with the weird stare. It'll freak her out." Mario nodded and closed his mouth, asking, "Has Marth gotten Ike away yet?"

Falco shrugged and said, "Oh, wait. There they are." Mario looked where Falco was pointing, and started laughing as he saw Marth drag Ike over to the corner, and, making sure no one was watching beside Falco and Mario, knocked Ike out. Marth pulled the swordsman over to the shadowed area of the Ballroom. He then ran over to them and said defensively as the others laughed their guts out, "I had no other choice; he was onto me!"

"Yeah, right. I've bet you've been waiting to do that forever."

Marth answered with a-not-so-innocent smile.

* * *

Zelda caught sight of Mario, Falco, and Marth waiting. She steered Peach over to them, and when she felt Peach freeze, tugged her even more impatiently onward. "Why, Falco, don't you look dashing?"

As Falco rolled his eyes, Marth said, "You look wonderful, ladies. But where," he asked, looking over their shoulders, "is Samus?"

Zelda giggled and jerked her thumb over her shoulder, where Samus was dancing with Link in the middle the floor. Every time Samus appeared facing them, she made a vulgar sign behind his back and made a silent plea to hurry up so she could stop. Falco laughed and said, "She looks ecstatic."

Peach frowned and asked, "What I don't get is _why_ Samus is-"

Marth interrupted quickly and asked, "Zelda, would you like to dance?"

She giggled and nodded happily, releasing Peach. Falco, at the same time, said, "Oh, look. I'm going to go talk to Fox for a bit. See you later." He clapped Mario on the back and waved goodbye to Peach.

They stood there, an uncomfortable silence growing between them. "Mario, don't you look dashing tonight."

He blushed and took her arm. "You look amazing as well, darling. Shall we take a walk?" Peach smiled and nodded. As they walked out of the Ballroom, they passed a very angry looking Roy. As he caught sight of Mario and Peach, together, he stopped in his tracks completely until Fox walked by, and he shook himself out of it. "Fox! Why the hell-"

It was silent in the halls, and the muffled music coming from the Ballroom had changed tempo and was now playing a smooth, beautiful waltz. Mario pulled her into it, and they danced until they were in the courtyard. For one last flourish, Mario spun Peach around and around. He kneeled as soon as she wasn't facing him, took a breath, and pulled out the velvet case.

Peach twirled in the moonlight, laughing and smiling. Tonight was perfect; Ike, Roy, and Link had not bothered her at all, and she was dancing with her beloved. She stopped spinning, and turned, laughing, to face him again. At first she didn't know where he was; but then she glanced down, and froze, her eyes and mouth open in shock.

There he knelt, a blush on his cheeks, but his hands firm as he opened a box and revealed a beautiful pink diamond ring, cut in a heart-shape and held on a gold band. Tears pooled in her eyes as he asked the most beautiful question that existed in the world.

"Peach, love, will you marry me?"

She couldn't speak, all she could do was let the tears run down her face as she knelt and wrapped her arms around him. Sobbing, she buried her face in his jacket. As soon as she could breathe again, she said in one gasp, "Of course, my knight! Of course! A thousand times yes!" She buried her face in his shoulder again, and they knelt there for a long, long time.

Zelda, Samus, Falco, Fox, Captain Falco, Marth, and Luigi were in the shadows of the columns of the dark halls that lead into the courtyard. As soon as Mario had led Peach out, each had secretly tailed them until they met up here. Zelda put her hands over her heart and leaned on Marth, who rubbed her shoulder. Samus smiled and crossed her arms. Falco and Fox high-fived quietly, and Captain Falcon saluted the dark pair.

_Later that night, as Peach and Mario walked back into the Ballroom, they were met with a large group of cheers and congratulations, while the rest of her 'suitors' stood in the back, furious and brooding. Master Hand orchestrated a slow spotlight dance for them, and as they twirled past smiling faces, Peach kissed him full on the mouth, and contemplated her future as the 'Mrs. Mario'._

_Tonight was the most perfect night ever._

* * *

**MINDSPRING~ Okay, there it is :) Hope you liked reading as much as I liked writing it! 3 Don't forget to review, with comments, critiques, blahblahblah... Peace out!**


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